Various forms of rotating amusement rides are known in the art. Generally these units are comprised of a multitude of separate parts that are bolted, clamped or otherwise fastened together piece-by-piece in assembly and then labriously unbolted and unclamped for storage in a truck or trailer for transport to the next location. This often envolves the use of unskilled manual labor and inevitably consumes considerable time. The various components and fasteners are designed for strength, reliability and ease of assembly, with safety of the passengers as the primary consideration. Some parts can be nested or folded and generally the components are oriented on the trailer in order of their sequence of use during the assembly. In spite of this, considerable amounts of time are consumed in the loading and unloading, inspection of the multitudinous fasteners and proper adjustment during operation, particularly as the size and complexity of the ride increase.
The instant assignee is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 3,552, 747 which is directed to a mobile ferris wheel that folds up to a compact size on its own mobile bed and is readily and safely unfolded upon its pivotally-mounted mast to become a complete ferris wheel. The unit involves but one rotating part which is driven by a cable. The various spokes are bolted to the hub, but most of the remaining parts fold to a compact size without disassembly. Aside from the general idea of foldability the problems solved by and the laborsaving features incorporated in the instant invention have no relationship to the disclosure of said patent.